2.2. Climate Change and Green House Gases
Globally, most MSW is dumped in non-regulated landfills
where landfill gas (LFG) is generated as a by-product.
LFG is produced when organic material decomposes
anaerobically, consisting of 45% to 60% methane gas,
40% to 60% carbon dioxide, and 2% to 9% other gases
which are mostly emitted to the atmosphere. Climate
change is caused by an increasing level of GHG in the
atmosphere. Methane gas is a GHG that is 23 times more
harmful than the same volume of carbon dioxide [10]. One
of the main sources for methane is landfills and most of
the methane gas produced from the landfills leaks into
the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Biogas
from landfills has been collected and sometimes used for
several decades in many industrialized countries and it
has a proven record as an environmentally sound technology.
Jordan has relatively good potential to utilize the
biogas from solid waste especially with the success of the
Rusaifeh LFG plant. The main objective for this project
was to reduce the GHG emissions from the Rusaifeh
closed landfill and to provide an energy recovery opportunity
[16].